Pickups for electric stringed musical instruments are transducers which convert the vibration of the strings of the musical instrument into an electric signal. Different types of pickup exist depending on the physical principle by which the vibration of the strings is captured, the most usual being electromagnetic pickups. This type of pickup comprises a coil which creates a magnetic field, so that the vibration of the ferromagnetic strings induces a current in the coil that is proportional to the amplitude of the movement and of a frequency equal to that of the oscillation of the strings. Said pickups, also known as microphones or capsules are usually arranged in a housing of the body of the musical instrument just beneath the strings. The pickups are usually arranged in said housing of the body of the musical instrument by means of a pickup support which normally comprises means of attachment to the housing of the stringed musical instrument. Said attachment means to the musical instrument are usually of the removable connection type to allow the pickup of the musical instrument to be exchanged for another.
By way of example, Spanish Patent Application no. 201630058 discloses an example of a pickup support in which the means of attachment to the musical instrument consist of threaded elements. However, although the use of threaded elements is very reliable as mechanical attachment means, some time is required when exchanging one pickup support for another, owing mainly to the steps of unscrewing and screwing the threaded elements. Consequently, this type of removable connection attachment means is not convenient when interchanging pickup supports, for example during a musical performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,184 discloses another example of a pickup support in which the attachment means to the musical instrument consist of spring and ball positioners arranged in internal channels both in the pickup support and in the musical instrument. Thus, when the pickup support is arranged in the housing of the musical instrument, the respective ball positioners are seated in the respective ball positioners arranged in the housing of the guitar instrument, so as to hold the pickup support in the housing of the musical instrument, as shown in FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,184. In this case, the arrangement of the pickup support in the corresponding housing of the musical instrument is carried out more quickly and efficiently than when using threaded elements (Spanish Patent Application no. 201630058). However, attachment by means of said ball positioners is less stable, in particular against the vibrations produced by the strings of the musical instrument. In addition, both the positioning and the removal of the pickup support must be produced by pressure, which on occasions makes quick and efficient positioning and/or removal of the pickup support by the musician difficult during a performance, mainly owing to a lack of strength.